# Familiar actors you did not realize were in a movie you saw until someone told you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381 "2014-04-04T23:42:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/21 "2014-04-05T19:07:22Z")
I noticed the other day on IMDB that Michael Shannon (Zod) also played Fred (the guy who’s getting married) in Groundhog Day. Had to rewatch it to see for myself ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/22 "2014-04-05T19:13:08Z")
Eric Stoltz as the mime in _Singles_. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/23 "2014-04-05T21:09:52Z")
Not quite the same thing as movies, but before having a kid, I never realized how many name actors also work in kids cartoons. Not even cool cartoons for adult audiences, but cartoons for preschoolers with no subtext at all. Most recently I was amazed to realize that Handy Manny is voiced by Wilmer Valderrama, who played Fez on That 70s Show. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/24 "2014-04-05T21:27:56Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Gary Oldman in Hannibal for me, although the someone who told me probably did it through the medium of Wikipedia. Gary Oldman in half of his movies, for me. There have been several movies (Fifth Element, The Professional, Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban, Batman Returns) where I didn’t recognize him and thought “Wow, this guy’s great… he should get more work…” I saw that he was going to be in HP and the Next Movie, and thought “Wow, I wonder who he’s going to play? That’ll be… oh, yeah… probably Sirius Black.” Then again, maybe I just have a memory problem… ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/25 "2014-04-05T21:31:36Z")
One of the cousins in “Nebraska” was none other than Buzz from “Home Alone.” I never would have recognized him since, like most people, I hadn’t seen him in anything since the role that made him briefly famous ~25 years ago, but I read it somewhere on the internet. (Maybe even here?) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/26 "2014-04-05T21:38:04Z")
Gordon Clapp of _NYPD Blue_ was Chip, the new boyfriend who tags along to the reunion in _Return of the Secaucus 7_. Steven Hill, who plays Adam Schiff the DA of the first several seasons of of _Law & Order_, was the father of the boy Judy Garland takes a special interest in, in _A Child is Waiting_. I actually eventually noticed both of these myself, but not until I had seen them several times, and then it slowly dawned on me. In a similar vein, it took me about 20 years to realize why ABBA is called ABBA. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/27 "2014-04-05T22:11:27Z")
A couple months ago, after watching Almost Famous, I noticed Jimmy Fallon’s name in the credits. I looked up the character, rewound the movie to the scenes he was in and still couldn’t recognize him. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/28 "2014-04-05T22:22:10Z")
In _Gods and Monsters_, I didn’t realize that that was Lynn Redgrave playing James Whale’s housekeeper until I was listening to the DVD commentary. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/29 "2014-04-05T22:25:28Z")
> [@Mattie\_Blue](#): > > I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but it took me several years to realize that the blind hermit in _Young Frankenstein_ was Gene Hackman. It too me…let’s see…I guess thirty years. And I love that movie! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/30 "2014-04-05T22:59:02Z")
I watched Silence of the Lambs probably five or six times before someone pointed out to me that Buffalo Bill was played [Ted Levine](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505971/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t18) (Captain Leland Stottlemeyer from Monk). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/31 "2014-04-06T00:20:39Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Gary Oldman in half of his movies, for me. There have been several movies (Fifth Element, The Professional, Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban, Batman Returns) where I didn’t recognize him and thought “Wow, this guy’s great… he should get more work…” > > I saw that he was going to be in HP and the Next Movie, and thought “Wow, I wonder who he’s going to play? That’ll be… oh, yeah… probably Sirius Black.” > > Then again, maybe I just have a memory problem… Yeah, sometimes he’s unrecognizable from one movie to another. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/32 "2014-04-06T00:34:50Z")
Jack Black in [Dead Man Walking](http://www.moviestillsdb.com/movies/dead-man-walking-i112818/5c8822/)? Granted, I don’t even think he has any dialogue. If he does, it’s only a line or two. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/33 "2014-04-06T02:12:39Z")
Watched Russ Meyer’s [The Seven Minutes](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067736) (1971) a few weeks ago. (I know, I know. Russ was trying to do a more “mainstream” film here. Hah.) The few of the usual Meyer’s players: Charles Napier, Edy Williams. Plus some more mainstream actors: Yvonne De Carlo, Jay C. Flippen, John Carradine. But there was this actor with the standard 70s “young macho actor look”. Moustache and all that. Didn’t think much of him until I saw the credits: Tom Selleck :smack: ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/34 "2014-04-06T02:15:46Z")
Viggo Mortensen in _Witness_. I’ve known every scene of that film since it was made in the 80s, so when my wife and I saw it a few years ago, the first viewing for her, and she said, “Hey, there’s Viggo!,” I just laughed and sarcastically said, “Yeah, right, sure.” As usual, the wife is right. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/35 "2014-04-06T02:36:10Z")
“Superman” George Reeves in \*From Here to Eternity \*. I heard that the movie had some interesting shots of old Honolulu, so I’m watching it one day and out steps “Clark Kent” dressed as some military officer! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/36 "2014-04-06T03:37:12Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Jack Black in [Dead Man Walking](http://www.moviestillsdb.com/movies/dead-man-walking-i112818/5c8822/)? > > Granted, I don’t even think he has any dialogue. If he does, it’s only a line or two. He’s only in [a couple of scenes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31OqBGfl4hE) but he does get to do a bit of acting. ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/37 "2014-04-06T04:13:41Z")
Well, there was a fare amount of makeup involved. It took me a good portion of the movie before I realized that Christopher Loyd was one of the Klingons in “Star Trek 3, The Search for Spock”. But I completely missed John Larroquette as one of the others. I wasn’t going to pay to see it again, so I had to wait for it to come out on VHS to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/38 "2014-04-06T04:30:00Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > He’s only in [a couple of scenes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31OqBGfl4hE) but he does get to do a bit of acting. Thanks for the clarification. Been years since I’ve seen it, and the ol’ memory ain’t what it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/39 "2014-04-06T08:23:28Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Gordon Clapp of _NYPD Blue_ was Chip, the new boyfriend who tags along to the reunion in _Return of the Secaucus 7_. > > Steven Hill, who plays Adam Schiff the DA of the first several seasons of of _Law & Order_, was the father of the boy Judy Garland takes a special interest in, in _A Child is Waiting_. > > I actually eventually noticed both of these myself, but not until I had seen them several times, and then it slowly dawned on me. > > In a similar vein, it took me about 20 years to realize why ABBA is called ABBA. I didn’t realize that Stephen Hill was the the same guy who played the leader in the first season of Mission Impossible until somebody here pointed it out. I would have never guessed that Hugo Weaving was the same guy who played Elrond and Mr. Smith. I could have knocked my BIL over with a feather when I told him that Magento and Gandalf were played by the same actor. My problem is usually the other way around. I’ll recognize an actor but I can’t remember where else I saw him before. I had to look up Josh Holloway from Intelligence to find out he’d been on Lost. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381/40 "2014-04-06T12:20:37Z")
Mr. Salinqmind watched “Galaxy Quest” twice before he said, “Sigourney Weaver was in this???” Didn’t recognize her! Years ago on Tv, on ER, I believe her name is CCH Pounder, who played an obese ER nurse. Over a summer break she lost like 100 lbs. and came back and was unrecognizable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-actors-you-did-not-realize-were-in-a-movie-you-saw-until-someone-told-you/685381.md?page=3)